Microsoft (MSFT) will charge a hefty $899 for the 64GB version of Surface Pro, and $999 for the...

Microsoft (MSFT) will charge a hefty $899 for the 64GB version of Surface Pro, and $999 for the 128GB version. Touch/type covers are sold separately. There's a good chance Surface Pro will be seen as just one name in a sea of Windows 8 Pro tablets and convertibles, especially since its use of an Intel (INTC) Core i5 CPU has made it a little thicker/heavier than models running on Intel's Clover Trail. Meanwhile, Digitimes is reporting Microsoft has cut its Q4 Surface RT orders in half to 2M - that's a negative for NVDA. (NPD data)

Nobody is sitting around waiting for Win 8 tablets, come on. Consumers are buying iPads. Businesses (majority of which are still on XP) are still slowly upgrading to W7 and basic, cheap hardware when not virtualizing. MSFT is about to get a reality check bitchslap in Jan when it reports.

Consumers aren't just buying IPads. They are buying all kinds of android tablets, hence the cut in marketshare for the IPad from 80%+ last year to around 50% this year.

Microsoft is breaking new ground by creating a tablet/hybrid that isn't JUST a consumption device, but also something that can be used for productivity. No matter how much IFans like the spin it, the IPad (and other tablets) are basically content consumption devices.

If you ever walk around town (say, the subway or Starbucks) or get on an airplane/airport, Android tablet market share is waaaay less than 50%. They must be all using in their basement (and not surfing the web).

According to you, Android tablets are content consumption devices too, therefore, just as crap.

Win 8 is a confusing mix of half tablet live-tile mode and half legacy desktop mode. Reviews have been mediocre to scathing. Goodluck to MSFT if all Windows tablets combined would even reach 10% market share by end of 2013.

you want to do serious productivity work on a 10.6" tablet screen ? The Surface Pro is the worst of both worlds - too thick/heavy/low-batt-life to be a full time tablet, and way too small to be a laptop.

It's only saving grace is full-scale Office, which some people swear by. I'd much rather get a proper ultrabook.

I've done serious work on a pre-iPad1 7" XP based Viliv ex70 with 5 watt Atom processor. Because tablet OS products need 'apps' to connect to the services I use, and some of those services just aren't accessible to mobile OS products at all. Especially if the company hasn't spent the money and time on developing for it.

When I need a bigger screen, I output over VGA or USB Displaylink, amd it doesn't bother me at all. Because I don't do serious work in an environment where a larger monitor is not an option... like Starbucks.

Not that I couldn't just lug along a USB powered monitor like the 15" AOC product if I -really- wanted to pretend to work at the bar, but I figure I'd look like an idiot.

In my world, any place where I need to or expect to have to get real work done typically has some kind of viewing device with a VGA output that I can hook into. So monitor size is never an issue.

That's why I look forward to a future where my smartphone will be powerful enough to do 'real work' on.

Not necessarily. The reason I will give it consideration for purchasing is IF it truly is the best of both worlds between tablet when I want that form factor (reading emails when I'm in a boring meeting, watching a movie on a plane) or a laptop for doing serious productivity work or need to run Windows-based apps. If so, it might be perfect for people like me.

OTOH, it could turn out to be the worst of both worlds, too slow performance / too small battery life to be a usable laptop, and too big/heavy to enjoy the tablet form factor.

I will wait and see, read a lot of reviews, and play with it before deciding.

If Surface Pro has the power of laptop, then it will be a great device with touch/type functionality and portability. I own an iPad and it doesn't have the power to replace laptop and the key board is separate unless you like the digital key board built into iPad. Surface is all in one device with key board acting as a cover that is an add-on to iPad.

Funny how according to most comments in this thread the Surface Pro is either the best of both worlds based on never having used it, or the worst of both worlds based on never having used it. Let's wait to form extreme opinions until we've used one, people.

I have, and enjoyed it immensely. Also found the Metro interface rather more intuitive and easy to use than internet reviews seem to imply, making me wonder if folks exposed to it were just tech-inept.

I was waiting for specs and info on Pro because I need a device with at least 8gb of RAM, and RT doesn't provide; and neither will Pro it seems.

I find it interesting and a bit of a disconnect from reality that Surface is priced and positioned based on storage capacity. I figure most productivity folks care not at all about that - that seems to be a consumption person's target - especially what with all the Skydrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc etc services around. Who needs on-device storage anymore anyway? 64gb USB or SD cards anyone? Come on.

Disclaimer - I work for MSFT. However, I am late to the IT world. I spent 20 years in the Navy as an aviator, flew for the airlines pre 9/11 and did DOD contract work before landing a great job with MSFT.

Comments: I continue to be astonished at the religion in technology. We (collectively in the IT business) are in INFORMATION technology. The business (what this site focuses on) is about the creation, collaboration, consumption and protection of INFORMATION. Why is choice attacked so aggressively in these forums?

Match the technology to your information needs. Microsoft entering the device business amounts to an increase in choice for the consumer. What Windows 8 offers is a platform that adapts to the cloud, on premise, personal, enterprise and mobile environments with a staggering choice of options. Desktops, laptops, netbooks, ultrabooks, tablets, convertibles and phone platforms usable with keyboard/mouse, touch and increasingly with Kinect, gesture interfaces across a large number of manufacturers and price points integrated with consumer, prosumer and enterprise platforms.